Leonard Adrian
Leonard Robert Adrian
Leonard Adrian was born on April 6, 1950, to Kenneth and Dorothy Adrian in Great Bend, Kansas. His father was a WWII veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor. From birth, Leonard was taught three principles: love of God, country, and the importance of service.
At the age of 17, Leonard left high school to volunteer for the United States Marine Corps (USMC). When asked why he volunteered in the midst of a war, Leonard replied with no fanfare or desire for accolades, “Because it was my duty.”
Leonard went on to simultaneously complete his high school diploma while taking engineering courses for service within the USMC Air Wing. Therein, he calibrated the radar systems used for inflight deployment of various modes of strategic weaponry.
Leonard held an active HAM radio operator’s license, which, at that time, included the use of morse code. Once discovered, he was transferred from the air wing into the jungle to assist in the construction and operation of MARS stations.
Upon leaving active duty, Leonard served as a Southern California police officer (Los Angeles County and the City of Anaheim). After leaving police duty, he continued in public service as a traffic systems technician, independently overseeing the function and maintenance of more than 200 traffic signals under the jurisdiction of Brevard County, Florida.
After retiring, he volunteered at a Tennessee High School wherein he taught students various skills such as light construction and car maintenance.
On December 17, 2019, Leonard died suddenly. He had been exposed to agent orange and had endured cancer and ischemic heart disease as a result.
It can be said, without hesitation, that Leonard served the whole of his life seeing to the safety and wellbeing of others and living up to the Marine Corps motto of Semper Fi.